American Indian College Fundhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog
Just another WordPress siteFri, 20 Feb 2015 22:31:12 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2NWIC Brings Family Engagement to Lummi Communityhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1834
http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1834#commentsFri, 20 Feb 2015 22:29:32 +0000adminhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1834Our first Family Engagement activity was an Ey’ Snat Family Fun Night in September held in conjunction with Sacred Little Ones partner site Lummi Head Start. We wanted families to get to experience a salmon barbeque with salmon cooked in the traditional way.

Lummi fisher, Dana Wilson, had the participants skewer chunks of salmon on long ironwood sticks then he propped the sticks near the fire to cook. The barbeque took place on a warm fall evening, on the beach, where children enjoyed playing near the water, elders visited, families ate, and Head Start and Northwest Indian College (NWIC) staff enjoyed the great turn-out.

The October Ey’ Snat was an Art Event! We began with a meal at the head start then Bill Jefferson, Lummi artist, shared some of his knowledge about traditional Coast Salish art forms. Families and young children got to do painting with those art forms, and take their artwork home. They were so pleased.

November’s event was a family play evening, where parents and family members brought their young ones to share a meal and play and play and play. Additional adults came without their children to be members of the “Play Team” who could add playfulness and extra resource to this family time. When half the parents went to the building next door for a support group, the Play Team and other half of the parents stayed out to play. The second half of parents also got their support group as well. There was much activity and while there were no physical take-homes, there were smiles and joy and a sense of peace as families departed. Parents and children connecting through play made children’s eyes shine. Participating in the brief but safe parents’ support group brought out the smiles on family members’ relaxed faces as well.

The December Ey’ Snat Family Fun Night in conjunction with our partner, Lummi Head Start, was a wonderful success, though in unexpected ways. That is, we did not expect the gathering to draw 125 people, as we had planned for 60… Our invitation “went viral,” and we were glad it did! We loved having so many families of young children there, and we received lots of support from the Silver Reef Hotel Casino & Spa to accommodate everyone. The catering department opened a second banquet room, added tables to the area between the two rooms, and served delicious food. The Silver Reef did a fabulous job of keeping the food coming, finding room for everyone, and treating us all so well.

Children and families ate and made several engaging and fun “make-and-take” activities. Due to unforeseen, but surmountable challenges, our activities were more Christmas crafts and less traditional crafts than originally planned. However, Lummi traditional values of generosity, working together toward a common goal, valuing family, and sharing and caring were fully engaged. And believe us when we say, that making scarves with a Seattle Seahawks applique was a hit of tremendous proportions for this wonderful occasion!

In January, we held our second Family Play evening, with more Play Team members than before. The parents’ support groups were eagerly attended in the middle of the event, and we initiated a Play Team members’ support group (for the adults and teens who came without children to support the children and families) after the families went home. It was lovely to hear each person’s delight with the evening and their part in it.

Enthusiasm was high for the next one, which took place February 6th. With over 40 participants, it was our biggest turnout yet!

The Tse’lala Parent Advocacy Group continues to meet on a weekly basis, and family engagement/community empowerment is in full swing at Lummi. These parents are committed to strengths-based, asset-oriented approaches to supporting their children’s education and educators. They introduced themselves to the tribal council in December, and at that time, the Tribal Chairman assigned two council members who are themselves parents, to attend the Tse’lala group as part of their community participation as Council members.

Being able to interact with and involve parents more fully has been a big and joyful job! We look forward to our next Ey’ Snat Family Fun Night with Head Start on Thursday, February 12. This time we will be at the Wex Liem Community Building with a variety of traditional crafts and some songs and dances for the young ones and their families.

The AIHEC student delegation in Washington, D.C. at the National Museum of the American Indian during the AIHEC Winter meetings.

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) winter meetings for Tribal College Presidents and Students. Each year representatives from the 37 different tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) meet up for an advocacy workshop and Capitol Hill visits. It was amazing to see 150 representatives in one room, ready to share their TCUs’ story. The students were especially inspiring. For many of them, this was their first visit to Washington, D.C. They were excited and eager to fill the halls of House and Senate building to share the importance of their TCU with their State’s representatives.

The students had prepared their two-three minute stories, shared and practiced with their fellow students, and were encouraging and proud of one another. Because so many TCUs are isolated, many students have never met one another. It was wonderful to see them make connections with other tribal college students and share their similarities and differences! I was so impressed with the initiative students made to find these connections with one another.

It was a wonderful experience to learn not only from our students but from other Native American organizations and supporters located in Washington, D.C. It was a great reminder that we are all seeking the same thing: to empower and strengthen Native Americans and their communities. Meeting to discuss and share our successes is important to achieving our goals. I hope to see this event grow with even more students and tribal college representatives attending. It is important to have this presence in Washington D.C. and to advocate for the importance of tribal colleges and universities.

Tiffany Gusbeth, at NCAI National Congress of American Indians at the Embassy of Tribal Nations during Tribal College Week in Washington, D.C. Tiffany is the Internships and Career Readiness Program Administrator in the Student Success Services department at the College Fund. Learn more about the career center and services offered at http://www.collegefund.org/students_and_alumni/content/career_center

]]>http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=18370Traditional Native Arts Forms Building Capacity at TCUshttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1823
http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1823#commentsFri, 13 Feb 2015 23:53:23 +0000adminhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1823The American Indian College Fund has created a re-granting opportunity for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to enhance the capacity of traditional Native arts forms and knowledge for the thirteen (TCUs) in the upper-Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. The goal of the project is for TCUs to enhance and build the capacity of traditional Native art forms and knowledge through the development of NEW academic classes and community extension activities involving traditional Native arts.

The first quarterly grant awards were awarded in July 2014 and awarded grantees developed and implemented academic courses and community extension activities. The following schools were awarded for the July to September 2014 grant period.

Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Cankdeska Cikana Community College has a strong desire to strengthen their Dakota Studies Programs by expanding the Fine Arts and Graphic Design curriculum to include more emphasis and expertise in preserving traditional Native arts. To create and preserve new traditional Native art forms, they hosted two-day summer camps for over 40 students (kindergarten through third grade). Students had the opportunity to learn about the history, knowledge and skills of parfleche. Parfleche is a type of container made from buffalo rawhide that Plains people fashioned into containers and decorated with brightly colored geometrical designs.

College of Menominee Nation

College of Menominee Nation has created a new traditional Native arts community extension and community activity through the recruitment of a traditional Menominee artisan. In the workshop, College of Menominee Nation students and community members learned the process of black ash basket making. A local artisan was chosen to conduct the workshop, a Menominee Tribal member, who is one of the two remaining tribal members that know the traditional way to create black ash baskets from identifying the three to weaving the basket. Through this project many generations (ages 11 to 65) were able to learn the history and skills of black ash basketry.

Fort Berthold Community College

Fort Berthold Community College has created a traditional Native arts workshop, based on the traditional arts of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) people. Fort Berthold Community College’s Native American studies worked with the science department to host a summer science/culture camp and during that time students were taught the traditional Native art of moccasin making. Students learned the difference between baby moccasins and adult moccasins. In addition, they were taught how to bead moccasins. Due to the popular nature of the course, additional workshops were held so community members could participate, participants came from all six districts of the reservation. The chosen master artist explained why each traditional craft is important and enraged participants to share what they have learned from their families and friends.

Sisseton Wahpeton College

Sisseton Wahpeton College has begun implementing their Traditional Dakota Arts Workshop series that is open to students and community members. For their first workshop they conducted a traditional Dakota pottery workshop that was held over a course of a weekend. It was free and open to the public and Sisseton Wahpeton College students who participated had the opportunity to gain college credit.

A cultural expert was incorporated into helping lead the program and she provided both cultural guidance on the planning and implementation of the workshop, as well as incorporating Dakota language and culture into the workshop. Erin Griffin, Dakota Studies Instructor and Project Coordinator, says that, “Having the support and advising of cultural and language experts is key when trying to restore Traditional Native Arts in a tribal community. It is important that we recognize that we have lost traditional knowledge and that we ask for help in re-incorporate that back into our activities.”

Sitting Bull College

Sitting Bull College surveyed eight district communities on the Sitting Bull reservation to determine the wants and needs of the people. In addition, master artists were sought to instruct the traditional arts workshops for the July to September 2014 grant period. Through the outcome of the survey it helped to determine which workshops would be held. How to Bead, How to Quill and Tribal Herbal Preparation-Foods and Medicines were hosted and led by three different master artists. Each workshop had a range of ages represented and this helped each participant because they learned from one another and the participants were willing to help one another learn the skills.

For further information on the Restoration and Preservation of Traditional Native Art Forms and Knowledge grant please contact Bridget Skenadore, Native Arts Coordinator, at bskenadore@collegefund.org or (720)214-2552.

]]>http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=18230One the Road Again: Montana Tribal College Fairhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1814
http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1814#commentsSat, 31 Jan 2015 00:09:33 +0000adminhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1814We are on the road again in Montana for the 2015 Montana Tribal College Career Fair Circuit on Feb. 2-10. Montana has the most Tribal College and Universities (TCUs) and TCU students than any other state and we are excited to join this event for the fifth year. The TCUs provide affordable, accessible higher education for college courses, career training, and more for students living near or on the reservations these tribal institutions serve.

The College Fund attends career fairs to recruit students to get a higher education and let them know there is financial assistance available. For this circuit we will join in with colleges, universities, military branches, agencies, and many career options and a chance to win scholarships and prizes!

The Montana Post Secondary Educational Opportunities Council (MPSEOC) and the Montana Tribal Colleges will host six events in Montana starting February 2, 2015 (see schedule here). It is the goal of MPSEOC to serve hundreds of college students, high school students, nontraditional students, families, guidance counselors, and community members with this event. Everyone is invited to attend for free!

Please com by and visit our booth to learn more about the opportunities available by our student success services department.

Another highlight of the college fairs is the Scholarship Program and Door Prizes. Each fair will have $500 in scholarship money to be given away and many great door prizes for those attendees of each fair. The scholarships and prizes are awarded by a random drawing from the names of people who attend these Tribal College Fairs. Therefore, by just attending a fair, students can walk away with money to put toward their education. See you next week in Montana!

]]>http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=18140Scholar Seeks Engineering Degree to Contribute to Community Needshttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1765
http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1765#commentsThu, 29 Jan 2015 22:43:54 +0000adminhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1765Charmayne (Navajo), a Navajo Technical University student studying Building Information Modeling and Walmart Foundation Scholarship recipient through the American Indian College Fund, has the goal of earning an engineering degree firmly in her sights. A job with the Office of Environmental Health & Engineering Department as an Engineering Assistant, which has given her the opportunity to work and attend college, has given her “the gift of defining the purpose of my life.”

Charmayne is assisting Field Engineers and Engineering Technicians in general surveying and surveying potential construction projects within Eastern Navajo Agency. She says this has inspired her to continue her education in the field. “I am preparing drawing and sketches in the field for individual homes from rough drawings and sketches and drafts for project summaries and construction plans that are reviewed by higher-level technicians. I interpret for the non-Indian staff and with individuals who do not understand English. I believe that with the knowledge and skills I have attained and through continuing my education, I will be able to contribute more to my Navajo communities.”

Charmayne attended the annualAmerican Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference in Orlando, Florida in November, thanks to the Walmart Foundation and the American Indian College Fund. It was her first trip on an airplane, and she says, “I didn’t know what to expert from the plane ride so I just sat back and let the plane fly.” And fly she did…

In Florida, Charmayne set her sights to the sky, attending many pre-college sessions, and preparing her mentally for the intellectual demands of college. She also attended sessions on interviewing, internships, and jobs, and has already begun applying for new challenges to give her more experience in the field. Charmayne says the conference confirmed her desire to be an engineer, and aligned her goals with those of the conference—to develop her knowledge and skills so that she will be a professional leader in the STEM field.

Charmayne said the program helped her realize how important it is get her degree, to continue working hard towards that goal, and to never give up on her dream. She added it was important for her and other American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians to attend to instill self-confidence so they can follow their dreams, while also inspiring others to follow their own and helping them believe they can achieve.

I was chosen to attend the American Indian Science and Engineering Society National Conference (AISES) in Orlando, Florida. I would first like to thank you very much for this amazing opportunity to represent the Walmart Foundation, the American Indian College Fund, Salish Kootenai College, and the Big Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. I felt extremely honored when offered this chance to be a sponsored attendee at such a prestigious event. This year’s theme was Transcend, which was appropriate for my position as a first-year student.

At the conference I learned social and career-building skills along with academic skills.

I attended the Networking 101 seminar, which taught me how to mingle, to be professional, and represent myself well. I also learned about maintaining connections with those I have met even if they are not someone I may need to reach out to right away. The interactive session brought structure and a framework to the art of networking and helped prepare me for the next few days, as I met many people from many different places.

I prepared myself for seeking an internship by creating a resume I will use to apply for an internship with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. I also visited the career opportunity fair, featuring major companies and graduate schools, to discuss internships and advanced study programs. I learned about an Indians into Medicine program at the University of North Dakota which can help me pursue my master’s degree in public health.

I was able to get perspectives on career paths and heard three different science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors’ stories on how they carved out their careers, opening my eyes to different opportunities.

At a speech seminar, I learned how to communicate effectively in order to comfortably deliver my messages. This will help me when working with people ranging from community members to people who may possibly be funding a program my community needs.

I learned I can maintain balance as a Native scholar and one day as a Native professional while knowing the expectations and works of college and work. I felt affirmed that even though I got a late start on college and may have done things ‘out of order’, I can still achieve my dream with hard work, teamwork and keeping my eye on the end goal for myself and my community.

Coming from a small reservation, my world has been so small. Moving to Montana to attend SKC broadened the horizons for me but this event really opened me up to the world. I was also inspired by the number of brilliant American Indians attending and how many overcame numerous obstacles to get where they are today. I felt even more overcome with emotion knowing that I was chosen to be there. The entire conference showed me how many opportunities are waiting to be grasped and I left motivated to work to be my best.

Thank you again for this amazing opportunity to help me see the potential in myself. I will forever be grateful and moved by this experience.

The College of Menominee (CMN) December Family Engagement Saturday morning activities were every bit as busy as Santa’s workshop would be on the 6th of the month! This semester the CMN Family Engagement grant staff along with our pre-service Teacher Education students designed, developed and delivered all aspects of College 4 Kids, our Saturday morning workshop for parents and their children. College 4 Kids focused on Emergent Literacy activities important for children’s success in reading. During the December activities snowmen were assembled with a top hat and buttons for eyes, special snow was applied then “footprints” were added to create a winter/snowy picture, a puppet show with a Christmas theme was provided, children’s books were read at each activity center before the activity began and cookies were frosted for the snack all within the two hour session. This block of literacy related activities were loved by both the children and the parents. Comments received via a survey were all very positive such as:

“I love the Saturday morning activities as it gives me and my son fun activities to do together, which we really enjoy and I absolutely love this program!”

“The hands on activities reminded me that a little mess is really worth the memories and learning for my children. All of the activities have been really well planned and executed! Great Job?”

Wow!, the CMN staff has worked hard starting the Family Engagement grant so hearing that kind of feedback confirms our thoughts that things were going very well! The following pictures show some of the fun (learning) taking place.

Oh la la, Fabulous, Spree, Ensemble, Boa and Parasol were just a few of the vocabulary words parent were asked to define as we started our December Lunch & Learn at the College of Menominee Nation! Every other week this semester a Lunch & Learn was offered on Thursday at noon for CMN enrolled students that are also parents of young children. The Family Engagement grant has allowed the CMN Family Engagement staff to plan literacy learning sessions for our student/ parents to learn the importance of spending time with their child reading and important activities to do along with reading to build their child’s literacy development. The December session was titled Shopping, and the Jane O’Connor story Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique was used to explain the importance of defining vocabulary from stories read to children because the limits of a child’s language means the limits of their world. Parents learned that comprehension without language knowledge can never happen, consequently explaining any unknown words is essential for their child to completely understand a story. The session and the planned activities explained how understanding and comprehension are the aim for reading. After reading the Fancy Nancy book we completed an activity focusing on the economic academic vocabulary words for Kindergarten and First grade used in the book. This built the parents’ awareness of how new vocabulary can build a child’s cognitive skills. As parents were leaving our session comments such as, “this was so informative, I never realized how important vocabulary was, this is important to know, and thank you for this session today, I really enjoyed it” were shared with our CMN Family Engagement staff. We also took pictures during the Lunch & Learn:

The University of Denver Cable Center hosted the annual Elders Dinner.

Christmas came early for close to 300 American Indian elders from the Denver Native community. On December 2, Natives ages 55 and older gathered at the Cable Center at the University of Denver to enjoy a holiday meal of buffalo and gifts bestowed by a Native Santa Claus, courtesy of the American Indian College Fund.

Volunteers from the Denver community served steaming platters of food while the Mile High Singers drum group provided entertainment. Cordell KillsCrow served as the emcee for the evening.

2014 Elders of the Year

Two American Indian elders were named as the College Fund’s annual Elders of the Year. This year Margaret Ann Yankton Tranekier (Oglala Lakota) and Kenneth G. Little (Hunkpapa Dakota) were honored for their guidance and leadership in the Native community.

Margaret (Oglala Lakota) is the daughter of Cecelia Yankton and Richard LoneDog and granddaughter of Noah and Margaret (Maggie) Yankton of Wounded Knee and Manderson, South Dakota. Her Lakota name is Heska Win, meaning White Mountain Woman. The name was given to her by her grandfather because she was born in Denver near the Rocky Mountains. Margaret’s grandparents instilled in her a deep pride in being Lakota and taught her the virtues and traditions of her people and the value of helping others.

Margaret was raised in two worlds: the city of Denver and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

In 1959 the Chamber of Commerce and the White Buffalo Council organized a Miss Indian Colorado Pageant during the State of Colorado’s Centennial Year Celebration. Margaret and two other finalists from the Southern Ute Tribe competed. She won the title as the first Miss Indian Colorado at age 16.

Margaret finished junior high school at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Porcupine, South Dakota and attended high school at Holy Rosary Mission (now Red Cloud Indian School) in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, where she graduated in 1962. After graduation she moved to Indiana for eight years and worked in the banking industry. After returning to Denver she reconnected with the community and the Denver Indian Center and began helping with various community events and powwows. She also got involved with the Indian church and started attending mass and reconnected with several elders from her childhood. In 1997 Father John O’Connell appointed her as Director of Religious Education for the Kateri Catholic Community.

Margaret also attended Metropolitan State College, Certified Nursing Assistant training at St. Luke’s Hospital, and completed a four-year Biblical studies program with the Program of Foundations of Biblical Ministry. She worked as a certified nursing assistant until her retirement in 2013. Caring for the elderly and ill was a fulfilling career for her.

Three highlights in Margaret’s life include sharing her life with her husband Alan Tranekier until his death in 2004; the privilege of being asked to represent the community at the Canonization of the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in Rome, Italy; and last but not least, seeing all of her takojas (grandchildren) born and supporting them in their sports and school activities and watching them dance at powwows. Family is everything to her.

Margaret is a member of the St. Kateri Catholic Community where she continues working part-time as the Director of Religious Education. She carries on the legacy of her grandparents as she continues to lend a hand any way she can by volunteering, cooking, and helping to locate assistance for many families in need in the Indian community.

Kenneth is from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Ft. Yates, North Dakota. His Dakota name is Heyoka Sica, which means “Jumping Clown” and was given to him by his grandmother while he was still in the womb.

Kenny has two sons, Ken and John Little, who reside in Kansas City, Missouri and Vermillion, South Dakota, respectively. He moved to Denver in 1964 to after he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education because he heard that the Denver Indian community was diverse and culturally connected and offered many professional opportunities.

Kenny has been a well-known powwow singer since he was very young, and after moving to Denver in 1964, he formed the first “Denver Singers” drum group. His drum group name is the “Black Tongue Dakota Singers.” Kenny enjoys singing and sets up at every Denver community powwow and provides educational presentations at many Denver metro area K-12 public schools.

Kenny served in the United States Army from October 1966 through October 1968, and began working as a substitute teacher and as a bus driver for the Denver Indian Center in the early to mid-1970s.

In the early 1980s Kenny relocated to North Dakota to pursue a master’s degree in education at the University of North Dakota. He graduated in 1984 and began working as the Indian Education counselor for the Grand Forks public schools which he says was one of the most fulfilling jobs he has had. After serving in that role for five years, he and his family decided to relocate back to Denver to work for the Intertribal Heritage Program. Through this work he was able to build many relationships with Denver Public Schools, and he found a position as a fifth grade teacher. In all, Kenny has taught for 18 years in K-12 and as of today, he works as the Lakota language teacher at the Denver Center for International Studies, a 6-12th grade magnet school.

Kenny recently participated in the November 2Washington Redskins protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he was able to support more than 5,000 other Natives in the fight to change the Washington team name. He maintains cultural connections to the Standing Rock Sioux reservation by going back every summer to participate in ceremonies and to attend a three-week Lakota language course at Sitting Bull College. Kenny is a fluent Lakota/Dakota speaker, but feels that attending the Lakota language class helps him teach the language better for his students at DCIS.

]]>http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=17300SIPI’s Native Harvest Feast Creates Sharing, Community Bondshttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1773
http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1773#commentsMon, 01 Dec 2014 19:27:28 +0000adminhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1773Thanksgiving is a time of sharing and community bonding. The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) Youth Development Incorporated (YDI) families engaged with one another during our Native Harvest Feast on November 24, 2014. SIPI YDI families and Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones”/Ke’ staff worked together to provide a Native inspired meal to share in honor of the “giving thanks” season. The event commenced with a prayer offered by SIPI YDI parent Donavon Barney. Before he prayed he set the mood, and expressed the importance of being thankful for the SIPI YDI staff and teachers, Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones”/Ke’ initiatives staff, SIPI YDI parents, and the greater community. Following the prayer, a heartfelt welcome was shared by the project director Dr. Danielle Lansing and her staff. Adults and children then shared a delicious meal as one family and community. Many parents contributed a homemade Native dish to share such as; potato salad, corn and squash, blue corn mush, a variety of desserts, and the Lakota blueberry dessert, Wojapi! Happy emotions were shared amongst all the families and many families appreciated the hard work and dedication of all staff.

One of the many activities that took place during the event was the papier-mâché turkey project! This activity involved every child and all family members to take part in the process and completion of the project. The children were glowing with pride and were very proud of their craft accomplishments, and some even suggested that they wanted to make another turkey! The parents were also filled with warm feelings and pride when they noticed that this was no ordinary turkey, the children’s handprints were the turkey’s wings! The SIPI early childhood student interns facilitated this activity, in which the students spent many weeks preparing materials for the project. All in all they gained a valuable experience in family engagement lessons!

During the event we were privileged and honored to feature a guest appearance by Miss SIPI 2014, Cheyenne Mitchell. She was excited to share in the thanksgiving spirit and festivities with all attendees. Miss SIPI awed the audience with her melodic singing and traditional songs to get families in the spirit of reflection and gratitude of thankfulness. Cheyenne sang a traditional Navajo song that reminded us to honor our elders and the guidance and wisdom they bestow upon us. She also encouraged and shared her appreciation to the families that were in attendance to always stay involved in their children’s academic endeavors.

As the event concluded, parents were glad to see such happiness in their children. The children were happy to make their own turkey and showed them off to their family and friends. The children traced their own hands and parents helped them cut it out. All the participants left feeling the joy of community. Families were reminded of the meaning of the Thanksgiving season, and this event inspired a new start to an existing tradition. The children, families and staff look forward to the next Thanksgiving when we get to do this all over again!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stacie (Jicarilla Apache/Navajo) is from Cuba New Mexico, but currently residing in Albuquerque, NM. She is the proud mother of two children, Aisha, and Daeghen. Stacie will be receiving her bachelor of science degree from the University of New Mexico (UNM) in family studies. She is also attending Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) and UNM concurrently for the Spring 2015 trimester to receive credits towards her bachelor of science degree from UNM. Stacie is the vice president of the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic (SIPI) Youth Development Incorporated (YDI) Head Start Parent Task Force,an active team member with the Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones” early childhood initiative and also serves as a parent intern with the SIPI Ke’ Family Engagement Initiative. She is the co-founder of Plus Light Productions a Native American owned production company in Albuquerque, N.M. and of the American Indian Albuquerque Network, a social media outlet that serves as a communication source for the Albuquerque surrounding area. She is a singer an actress on her down time and was featured in Native American films. She is driving life force and is committed to the empowerment of her Native American people.

]]>http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=17730Tribal Colleges Strengthen Family Engagement Through Early Childhood Educationhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1718
http://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1718#commentsFri, 14 Nov 2014 20:59:28 +0000adminhttp://www.collegefund.org/blog/?p=1718In July 2014, The American Indian College Fund launched expanded efforts to support tribal colleges and universities in strengthening early childhood education through family engagement. The early childhood initiative, the Ké’ Family Engagement Early Childhood Initiative: Strengthening systems of shared responsibility among Native families, schools and communities (http://www.collegefund.org/press/detail/284/10) seeks to deepen engagement with Native families across four tribal college communities: Sitting Bull College, College of Menominee Nation, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute and Northwest Indian College. This initiative builds on the success of the Sacred Little Ones grant, Wakanyeja ECE Initiative, developing strategic opportunities for families, kinship and clan relations to engage in young children’s learning and seeks to generate opportunities for Native families to advocate for high quality early learning opportunities for Native communities. The Ké’ Family Engagement Initiative is generously funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, under their national family engagement initiative.

Each month, one of the Ké’ Family Engagement Initiativegrantee sites will share family engagement cultivation activities and lessons learned. This month, Sitting Bull College provides an inside look into the family engagement activities they are developing with families:

Lakȟól’iyapi Hoȟpí (Lakota Language Nest)

UTTC Parade – September 6 – The children and families of the Lakota Language Nest entered a float at the 2014 United Tribes Technical College – Parade of Champion’s and received the top award for the Youth/Cultural Group! During the parade parents of the children handed out information brochure’s and Lakota learning phrases. The candy that the Nest distributed during the parade were labeled with different Lakota phrases that we all prepared by the families of the Nest. We are super proud of our children and supportive families who came together to make this event a memorable one.

Back to School Night – September 11 – The families of the Lakota Language Nest gathered to the review and sign official policies and parent commitment contracts for the 2014 – 2015 school year. A meal was provided and shared before Lakota Language learning games began for the whole families.

Traditional Meal – September 25 – A traditional meal of soup consisting of dried corn, dried meat, and dried prairie turnips called “wastunkala” was prepared by the cook that serves both the Lakota Language Nest and the Kampus Kids was shared with the parents and families of the both centers to celebrate Native American Day.

Parent to Teacher Meetings – A meal was provided for all parents before they were each met individually regarding their child’s progress in comprehending and using the Lakota language as well as how they are coming along in developmentally and an age appropriate manner. The families were given a folder of examples from the beginning of the year and examples of work completed recently so that they could gauge for themselves the progress of their children themselves.

Trick or Treating – The Children of the Lakota Language Nest and Kampus Kids went around on the Sitting Bull College campus and were greeting by staff and faculty with treats for the occasion. Parents accompanied some of the students

Parent Lakota Language Learning Classes – The parents of the Lakota Language Nest all signed a parent commitment contract at the beginning of the year to participate in a block of required Lakota Language learning classes that will enable the families to take the language into their home and use the Lakota language with their children. The classes are held on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for a six week block each semester.